A few hours before the State of Union, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell is keeping his expectations quite low. “There is no indication that an olive branch is forthcoming,” he says.

“You saw the inaugural,” he chuckles. “It’s like the president hasn’t recognized that he doesn’t control the government. It seems like the campaign never stops; it just keeps on going. But maybe I’ll be surprised.”

McConnell says he hears the president will talk about immigration and gun control, and, hopefully, about the economy.

But McConnell has a warning for the president: If he proposes tax increases, Republicans will fiercely oppose them. “That issue is over,” he says.